Category: opinion

More Muslims join Isis from the north African country than anywhere else. Michael Binyon visits a project orientating them in their community. Even political Islamists agree that only jobs, education, better living conditions and more social justice can counter the lure of Islamic State. Tunisia, the only country to emerge relatively unscathed from the Arab Spring, has seen more young men join Isis fighters in Syria and Iraq than any other Arab country — with at least 5,000 joining the militants in Mosul and Raqqa. Yet Tunisia is fairly prosperous,…

In her paper “Where Have All the Revolutionaries gone?,” Sarah Yerkes asks why young, non-Islamist Tunisians have abstained from participating in formal politics since the Tunisian revolution, and assesses the effect of this trend on the health of Tunisia’s democracy. Yerkes begins by analyzing the low level of non-Islamist youth participation in formal politics. She describes what formal political participation looks like and explains why youth participation matters in the context of post-revolution Tunisia. Yerkes then examines the discrepancies between the expected rate of participation and the actual rate of…

One year after launching a deadly attack in the eastern town of Ben Guerdane, the threat of Daesh militant group seems to have receded in Tunisia. Last year, Daesh militants staged deadly attacks on military and security posts in the town near Libyan border, killing 12 soldiers and seven civilians. Dozens of militants were also killed in ensuing clashes with government troops in the town. Security experts said the attackers had come from the western Libyan city of Sabratha after a U.S. drone struck their training site there. Prior to…

Within the domestic political climate full of hate, gossip and lies…, Tunisian people begin to lose faith in politicians and politics .This is very dangerous for a Nation set to build its volatile democratic transition with enthusiasm. The escalation and tensions on TV channels which constantly occurred between some well known politicians as well as the leaks of fake or correct news about their attitudes or behaviours , such as the last leak of a video of an inner meeting led by Hafedh Caid Essebssi. These samples do not give…

More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to unhealthy environments. Every year, environmental risks – such as indoor and outdoor air pollution, second-hand smoke, unsafe water, lack of sanitation, and inadequate hygiene – take the lives of 1.7 million children under 5 years, say two new WHO reports. The first report, Inheriting a Sustainable World: Atlas on Children’s Health and the Environment reveals that a large portion of the most common causes of death among children aged 1 month to 5 years…

Terrorism has succeeded in feeding fear and anger into Americans, not only harming the Arab world’s transition into democracy, but also shaking the core principles of the American democracy, which was once a leading model of freedom and inclusivity to the rest of the world. The uprising of multiple countries in the Arab world against dictatorship in 2011 has awed the world. These “Muslim majority countries,” as they are usually referred to by the U.S. government and foreign affairs agencies, have struck people with their passion for freedom, their will…

Tortoises’ best protection against predators is that they can hide in their shells. This makes them easy to ship around the world, as they tend to get tossed into sacks and boxes like mere rocks. Statistics derived from the Italian and French cities of Genoa and Marseille — apparently favored destinations in an illegal trade from the nation of Tunisia — indicate the confiscation of approximately 1,500 live tortoises from Tunisian smugglers each year. The numbers could be precipitously higher, given there are many shipments that go undetected. The bulk…

A University of Zurich study has found that early English learning may not be as advantageous as thought, the NZZ am Sonntag reports. Its findings come at a difficult time in the language debate. There is currently much discussionexternal link on how many languages should be taught at primary schools and which one first: English or the national language French. On May 21external link voters in canton Zurich are to decide on a people’s initiative calling for primary schools to teach one language,external link the latest in a series of…

“Terrorism, migration, climate change, protectionism, and a feeling of mistrust between the people and their national governments or EU institutions are the biggest challenges the EU is facing” European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström told the audience at a student debate which took place in the Arts Lecture Theatre at the University of Malta recently. “However, with the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaty, it is important to remember that no country can tackle these issues on its own and that we work best together” she said. MrsMalmström, who is…

Our country has a deep and rich history…” explains Tunisian Minister of Education, Mr Neji Jalloul. When he tells us about Hannibal fighting the Roman Empire and his elephants crossing the Alps, I am filled with memories from my childhood stories. History and education are deeply intertwined. I am in Tunisia as part of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity’s (the Education Commission) dialogue with heads of state and government across Africa to present the Learning Generation report and share ideas on an international financing facility for education.…